MILITARY: One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Second Regiment, Bucktail Brigade, Chapter 22 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB & JP Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm Table of contents for the book with graphics, may be found at http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/military/cw/150-bucktails/150-bucktails.htm ________________________________________________ HISTORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, SECOND REGIMENT, BUCKTAIL BRIGADE. BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THOMAS CHAMBERLIN, HISTORIAN OF THE SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION. REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION, WITH COMPLETE ROSTER. PHILADELPHIA: F. McMANUS, JR. & CO., PRINTERS, 1905. 256 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER XXII. FROM COLD HARBOR TO PETERSBURG. ON the 30th and 31st of May, Grant's army extended from the Shady Grove Church road, on which Warren's left rested, about three miles south of Totopotomoy Creek, in the direction of Hanover Court-House, to a point about six miles southeast of that place. Wright's corps occupied the extreme right, with Hancock next, and Burnside reaching to Warren's right. Sheridan guarded the Union left with two divisions of cavalry, and Wilson's cavalry division hovered about the right flank. On the 31st, Sheridan took and held Cold Harbor, Wright's corps, which had been withdrawn by way of the rear of the army, joining him on the 1st of June, making the position secure. In the afternoon, Smith's corps (the Eighteenth), of Butler's command, arrived from White House and took position on the right of the Sixth (Wright's). On the same day, Lee, having become aware of the withdrawal of the Sixth Corps, began at an early hour to make new dispositions, and Anderson's command was discovered skirting the front of Warren, who was ordered to attack. Warren's troops advanced - Elvidge says "about half a mile" - but, with the exception of considerable artillery firing on both sides, there was no serious engagement. The batteries knew little rest all day, and the enemy's shells did a good deal of damage. Sergeants Henry B. Evans and J. H. Clevenstine, of Company F, were both mortally wounded, the former dying next day and the latter on the 12th of the month. Others who were wounded were Lieutenant Thos. M. Lyon, of Company F, Sergeant Charles T. Street, of F, Private Clinton Waid of C, Private PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 257 James Knittle, of D, who lost a leg, and Private George Keyes, of I. The Sixth and Eighteenth Corps advanced to the assault of the lines in their front, at Cold Harbor, about an hour before sunset, and captured and held the first line of the enemy's rifle-pits. "While this was going on", says General Grant, "the enemy charged Warren three separate times with vigor, but was repulsed each time with loss. . . . There was also an attack upon Hancock's and Burnside's corps at the same time, but it was feeble, and probably only intended to relieve Anderson, who was being pressed by Wright and Smith". Elvidge makes no mention in his diary of the charges on Warren's front, but says: "Under cover of the night advanced the line again about three hundred yards. Busy all night, working at the breastworks. Exact loss in the brigade not known". On the 2d, Hancock's corps moved to the left of Wright, and Warren's line was extended to the left to connect with Smith. This change probably did not affect the position of the 150th, as, after stating that "heavy fighting still continues, carried on mostly by artillery, although we are troubled a great deal by rebel sharpshooters", Elvidge closes his notes for the day by saying, "Rained all night. Strengthened our works". Early on the following morning the Second, Sixth and Eighteenth Corps moved against the enemy, gaining his outer defences in places, in others meeting with a disastrous rebuff, though the end of the principal action, which lasted perhaps two hours, saw the Union lines considerably advanced. As Lee's army had the advantage of position, and was for the most part sheltered by woods and abundant rifle-pits, its losses were vastly lighter than those suffered by Grant's forces, which, in the brief space named, aggregated many thousands. Warren's and Burnside's corps, forming the right of the line, were at no 258 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH time seriously engaged, though they also pressed forward some distance and protected themselves by breastworks. General Grant, with his characteristic frankness, admits that this assault was without sufficient compensation, but shrewdly adds that "the enemy was not cheered by the occurrence sufficiently to induce him to take the offensive". On the same day the 4th Delaware was added to Bragg's brigade, making six regiments, the others being the 121st, 142d, 143d, 149th and 150th Pennsylvania. Skirmishing and heavy artillery firing continued throughout the day and evening, but the positions of the two armies remained unchanged. A movement to and across the James River having been decided upon, new dispositions of some of the corps were made on the 4th and 5th, Burnside going into line between Warren and Smith, and Hancock extending his left to the Chickahominy. At eleven o'clock on the night of the 5th, Warren withdrew and started for Cold Harbor, arriving there on the morning of the 6th, and resting that day. Bragg's command was transferred to the First division*, Fifth Corps, becoming the First brigade, and the 187th Pennsylvania, a large new regiment, was substituted for the 4th Delaware. This brigade was henceforth known as the "Keystone", Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, of the 10th Maine, succeeding Bragg in the command. On the 7th the brigade was located about a mile from the Chickahominy and about five miles from Bottom's Bridge, and for the next two days the 150th performed picket duty along the sluggish stream. On the opposite bank was the 24th Georgia, between whose men and the Bucktails pleasant relations had existed on the Rappahannock, below Fredericksburg, in the early spring. While thus engaged, some of the members ____________ *General Griffin commanding. PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 259 of the country companies, who had had experience in the lumber camps of Northwestern Pennsylvania, discovered a bee-tree, and resolved to possess themselves of the honey. Axes were promptly brought into play, but their resounding strokes soon created a hubbub on the rebel side of the stream, and several officers appeared, who called out to the choppers to desist or they would be fired upon. An explanation was offered, but the gray-coats were suspicious and declined to accept it. The cutting ceased for a time, but the temptation to secure the honey was strong, and by a crafty application of the axe at intervals, one or two strokes at a time, the tree was finally brought to the ground. The entire line shared in the spoils, and army bread was never eaten with a better relish than during those two days on the Chickahominy. On the night of the 12th Warren's corps crossed the stream on a pontoon bridge, at Long Bridge, which latter, as well as all the other bridges, had been burnt by the rebels. The pickets, including a detail from the 150th, had been left on the line, and, after the withdrawal of the army, were in imminent danger of capture. They succeeded, however, in getting out of the swamp safely, and those belonging to the 150th rejoined the regiment about four o'clock on the morning of the 13th, near Dispatch Station. Here a halt was made until dusk, when the march was resumed and continued until two A. M. of the 14th. At daylight the troops were again in motion, and, with the exception of a brief rest at Charles City Cross Roads, kept plodding along by way of Charles City Court-House until the James River was reached. Here a pontoon bridge had been laid, and Hancock's corps was already crossing, using boats as well as the bridge. On June 16th, Warren's corps was carried over in transports from Windmill Point to Guiney's Landing, the 150th crossing on the steamer "Exchange". 260 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH "After we had disembarked" - says Sergeant Frey - "We had soap issued to us, and were told to go into the river and wash our clothes. Six weeks had passed since we left our camp at Culpeper, and during that time we had been exposed to all kinds of weather, lying often in mud and water, then marching for days through clouds of dust, with never a change of clothing. On that morning we had on the same garments with which we started, and none of them having been washed in those six long weeks, we were glad of a chance to get some of the dirt off. "The way we washed was this: we did not take our clothes off, but soaped them on our bodies, and swam around to work out the grime, giving them an occasional rubbing; then applied more soap and went through the same process again, until satisfied that we had about as much dirt off as it was safe to take at one time. Then we went out and walked around in the sun to dry them; but before they were perfectly dry the order came to 'fall in'". Warren's corps made a rapid march towards Petersburg, halting about nine P. M. at Prince George Court-House long enough to make coffee. Then a fresh start was made, and before midnight the entire corps was at the front, ready to support the operations already begun by Smith and Hancock. A number of intrenched lines and redans had been carried by the Eighteenth and Second Corps, with considerable loss on both sides; but the enemy quickly established himself in fresh works and in strongholds which had long been prepared for the defence of Petersburg. In the general advance of the Second, Ninth and Fifth Corps, on June 18th, the Fifth was on the left, and had the greatest distance to traverse, - probably not less than a mile and a half. The ground was very irregular, being broken by ravines and by the Norfolk Railroad cut, which made the movement very laborious, and necessitated some readjusting of the lines before PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 261 the final dash upon the enemy's works. Griffin's division, of which the 150th was a part, formed for the assault under cover of a slight elevation about three hundred yards from the rebel forts, and elaborate instructions were given to brigade and regimental commanders as to the manner of their advance and the objective point of each. To the 150th naturally fell the duty of leading the way as skirmishers for the brigade, and Major Jones was ordered at a given signal - the firing of a certain battery - to move rapidly across the first ravine in front to the brow of a rising ground beyond, from which - if the supporting lines followed closely and in good order - he was to advance precipitately across a second ravine and press on until he struck the rebel works. These were to be carried, if possible; or, if that could not be accomplished, the nearest elevation was to be held and fortified. At the signal - which was given about four P. M. - Major Jones's command sprang nimbly through the hollow to the summit of the little hill, and seeing the long line of the 187th Pennsylvania following in admirable array, with the other supports close upon their heels, dashed swiftly into the second ravine and up its farther slope to the very base of a formidable earthwork. During this time the enemy was not idle. The forts and connecting intrenchments were strongly manned, and from every point dominating the scene of the assault came shot and shell and rattling grape and canister, coupled with a murderous fire of musketry, against which no troops could make an effective stand. While the 150th escaped with comparatively little loss in passing the last ravine, owing to its formation as skirmishers, no sooner had the 187th and the succeeding line of smaller regiments gained the top of the rising ground, already mentioned, than they began to melt away under the merciless storm of iron and lead. Under the superb leadership of Colonel Chamberlain, who had won the confidence and affection of the brigade, they pressed on almost to the enemy's 262 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH works; but at this critical point the colonel was dangerously wounded, and, exposed to an enfilading as well as direct fire, which strewed the ground with scores of dead or disabled officers and men at every moment, they were forced to retire to the protection of the little ridge which they had just surmounted. It was a gallant effort, and, although unavailing, commanded the admiration of all who witnessed it. For his part in the action, Colonel Chamberlain was promoted on the field, by General Grant, to a brigadier-generalship, and later won the rank of major-general chiefly through the work of this sanguinary day. In mentioning the colonel's promotion, Bates, in his "History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers", adds, "The troops received the warmest commendation for their valor from General Griffin". According to Sergeant Frey, two separate assaults seem to have been delivered that day, in the effort to capture the rebel works, and it was in the second charge that Colonel Chamberlain was struck down. The account above given fairly describes the first movement, which ended in a check to the assaulting column. Sergeant Frey says: "We are now ordered to fall back to the foot of the hill, and slide back to avoid the bullets as much as possible. We lay at this place all afternoon under a hot June sun, exposed to a constant fire of shot and shell and minie balls. At six in the evening the corps was formed for a last charge to carry the enemy's works and capture Petersburg, and we were moved a short distance to the right, behind a high bluff, in front of which was one of the enemy's forts with earthworks stretching to the right and left connecting with other forts in the line of defence. The fort in our front was the same that was blown up some time afterwards. Could we have broken through at this point and then turned on either flank, Petersburg would have fallen and the war would, perhaps, have ended in a different way from what it did. Much valuable time had already been lost, giving the enemy PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 263 opportunity to strengthen his works and bring up re-enforcements. The charge was sounded, the troops rose to their feet and began to ascend the steep hill, and now from fort and parapet, and from behind breastworks, came a storm of lead and iron that smote them at every step. The dead are falling fast, the wounded go limping to the rear or drag themselves away as best they can; but the columns struggle on, working themselves nearer to the enemy's line. Some are within fifty yards of it, but with thinned ranks, too weak for a final rush. At last the recall is sounded and the troops fall back to the foot of the hill whence they had started. The struggle for the possession of Petersburg had failed". General Humphreys, in his book, "The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65", says, "General Warren's assault was well made, some of Griffin's men being killed within twenty feet of the enemy's works, but it was no more successful than the others. His losses were very severe. Among the desperately wounded was Colonel Chamberlain, of the 10th Maine, who led his brigade under a destructive fire". General Chamberlain, in an interview with a newspaper reporter, the details of which were published in the New York World of January 15th, 1893, after mentioning the consolidation of the First and Fifth Army Corps in the spring of 1864, said of his own command, "It consisted of Doubleday's division of veterans (Roy Stone's and Rowley's old brigades), to which was added a fine new regiment, the 187th Pennsylvania, and these made up a brigade. I was called to command it while I held the rank of colonel in another brigade. It was with this magnificent command that I made the now famous charge at Petersburg, June 18th, 1864. "I had already carried an advanced position across the Norfolk Railroad, which brought me close upon the enemy's main works, and secured myself by bringing up four batteries of artillery, when an order came to charge the main lines of 264 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH Petersburg with my command. Knowing well the fruitless slaughter this would involve, I boldly sent back a written protest, but added that I would willingly make the attack if supported by the whole army, as would be necessary in order to carry the city by assault. "For a time it looked as if my suggestions would be ignored, but I was re-enforced, and after the fight it was demonstrated that my refusal to obey the orders had really been the means of winning the victory. It was for this action that General Grant promoted me from colonel to brigadier-general. General Grant afterwards told me that he had never made a promotion on the field of battle before." Of the esteem in which the 150th was held by General Chamberlain some idea may be formed from a letter written by him October 11th, 1867, addressed to Captain A. J. Rorer, of Company B, in which he says, "I remember your regiment and its heroic and gallant service on that terrible day of June, and every man of it is dear to me". Well might the general speak thus feelingly of the little 150th, as it was perhaps the only regiment in the entire division that did not cede a foot of ground which it had won that day. Planted near the base of the huge rebel fort, the men lay in comparative security from the fire of its occupants, the muzzles of whose cannon could not be sufficiently depressed to bear upon them; while every enterprising soldier of the garrison who showed his head and musket above the parapet became the target of their unerring rifles. It was a hot place, however, for the Union guns at various points were trained upon the fort, while an incessant flight of bullets from the infantry lines upon the ridge in their rear was almost as full of menace to the Buck-tail skirmishers as to the enemy; so that the weary command waited with impatience for the coming of night, which promised at least partial relief from the double peril to which it was exposed. At midnight an officer from the 83d Pennsylvania, PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 265 who had crept out to ascertain the exact location of the 150th, reported to the major that his regiment (the 83d) had been detailed for picket duty, to relieve the skirmishers, and he would bring it out as promptly as the difficulties of the situation would permit. About three o'clock on the morning of the 19th the pickets arrived and, man by man, moved noiselessly into the little shelters already found or excavated by their predecessors. Day was dawning when the 150th was finally permitted to retire. To withdraw without loss was no easy matter, in the face of a vigilant foe; but by creeping back to the ravine, feet foremost, and running rapidly to the right, the little band soon gained a narrow wood road which partially screened it, enabling it to pass without serious accident within the lines of the corps. The position to which the regiment was assigned was a short distance in rear of the first line of battle, where it was much exposed to the fire of rebel sharpshooters, with no opportunity of replying. After several of his men had been killed or dangerously wounded, Major Jones sent a request to Colonel Tilton, of the 22d Massachusetts, who had been assigned to the command of the brigade after Colonel Chamberlain was disabled, to be allowed to move a short distance to a more protected spot, as the regiment was not actively engaged. The privilege was refused, for some unexplained reason, and the regiment compelled to take the chance of further unnecessary loss. On the 18th of June the mean strength of the regiment, which a week before was quoted at one hundred and sixty-eight, had fallen to one hundred and ten, - an appreciable reduction in so small a body of men. The following are the names of those killed or mortally wounded on the 18th and 19th:- Sergeant Henry Wendler, Company E, wounded June 19; died July 3. 266 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH Corporal Robert Sloan, Company E, killed June 18. Sergeant James W. Slocum, Company H, killed June 18. Private Joseph Guinen, Company H, wounded June 18; died June 20. Private William Castle, Company I, died June 24. Of those wounded on the same dates, the names of the following, only, have been ascertained:- Private Stephen P. Harmer, Company A. Sergeant Joseph Maxwell, Company B, June 18. Private John Pyffer, Company B. First Lieut. John H. Harter, Company D, June 18. Private Jacob Boyer, Company D. Private Samuel Ruhl, Company D, June 18. First Sergeant William S. McGinley, Company E, June 18. Private Ephraim J. Paul, Company E, June 18. Sergeant Charles S. Reisinger, Company H, June 19, with loss of foot. Corporal Leverett Lowe, Company H, June 19. Corporal Wash. McMillen, Company H, June 19.